You can’t tell but the heading of this week’s newsletter was orginally in Roboto font. That’s no coincidence.
When sci-fi legend Isaac Asimov coined the term “positronic” in his 1941 short story “Liar!”, he was doing so in the context of thinking about robotic brains (a positron is a real-life subatomic particle: thanks Google). I’m sure the last thing on his mind was “positronics” as a much more human-centered philosophy/approach to life, let alone branding.
However, with 2025 being what it is, I don’t think he’d object to putting a slightly different spin on his term. What is that spin? Quite simply, it involves reframing “positronics” in the context of exactly what it sounds like: bringing positive energy to our outlook and perspective on life, the situations we encounter on a daily basis, and as a brand strategy.
That last one – Positronics as an approach to branding – is what I’d like to focus on today.
Bringing Heart and Soul Back to Branding
Most brands today are reactive. Their top priority is chasing trends, algorithms, and whatever the latest guru promises.
Positronic branding, on the other hand, takes the opposite approach. Much like one of Asimov’s robots, it doesn’t chase. It thinks. It learns. It lives by laws that make it trusted, adaptable, and unstoppable. Ironically enough, positronic branding is about moving away from the robotic and bringing back soul – i.e. logic, ethics, and human resonance – in a landscape increasingly dominated by A.I. After all, nobody wants a brand that feels soulless, robotic, and most dreaded of all – corporate. Positronics avoids all of that, making your brand dynamic, authentic, and meaningful rather than mechanical.
Combining Ethics and Intelligence
Positronic branding also takes into account that – and this is something I’m sure Asimov would have agreed with – intelligence without ethics is dangerous, and bad for everyone. This is true in every aspect of life, including politics, science, and education, but it holds just as true in the world of branding and marketing. When intelligence isn’t paired with ethics, you get consumer manipulation, damage to brand reputation, and an unhealthy disconnect between your brand’s image and its actions. Positronic branding represents the polar opposite. It’s conscientious, responsible, and draws your audience in with a – no pun intended – positive energy that emphasizes growth and creation.
Combining humanity, positivity, intelligence, and ethics to tell the story of your brand is at the heart of what Positronics is all about. It’s an approach that focuses on the “why” of what you’re selling, rather than just the “what”, challenging your brand to define its core values, mission, and reason for being.
Positronics is a new approach to branding, for a new era. And it’s one I like to think Asimov would definitely approve of.
If you’d like to delve deeper into the theme of AI, ethics, and branding, join us at 1pm ET on September 25, 2025, for Actual Intelligence: A.I. That Won’t Kill Your Brand.
And of course I’m always happy to chat about working with you 1-1 or in my Mastermind.
